Dubai: This expat’s collection of 12,000 vinyl records and CDs is worth Dh1 million – News

The Pink Floyd-themed doormat outside Ali Maarrawi Dabbah’s apartment gives you a sneak peek into musical heaven. However, the real show takes place inside, and it’s almost impossible not to feel overwhelmed when looking at the nearly 12,000 vinyl records, CDs and music memorabilia that line every wall of his JBR apartment in Dubai.

“I did listen to all of them at some point,” said the 46-year-old Spaniard. “But it’s also about the journey to find them, especially when it’s unexpected.

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At 46 years old, Dabbah, guarded by his cats Hannibal and Lobo, has a collection valued at more than 271,000 euros (just over 1 million dirhams). This estimate comes even after selling a quarter of his collection in 2020, with one of the most expensive records being a George Michael album valued at almost Dh5,000.

For Dabbah, the value of his collection transcends monetary value. “I never bought anything because I thought it would be worth a hundred times more. I bought it just for the music.”

Crown jewels

Their extensive collection spans all genres, from 80s pop to smooth jazz, with rock and heavy metal dominating the shelves. Notable pieces include a signed vinyl record of Ghost’s Impera album and special edition records from legends such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

With signed vinyl record of Ghost’s Impera album.

One of his favorites is a rare pressing of Queen’s Innuendo album. Beyond the vinyl record and CD, the case includes a book detailing the life of Freddie Mercury, along with a ticket stub from a Queen concert where he saw them perform with Paul Rodgers. The album has sentimental value since it was the first song he learned to play on the guitar.

“Innuendo was the first song I learned to play on the guitar.”

A legacy of music

“The music started almost before I was born, when I was in my mother’s stomach,” Dabbah said. He was born into a family in Syria where almost everyone played an instrument. When she was pregnant with him, her mother listened to everything from classical music to ABBA.

Dabbah’s family moved to Saudi Arabia when he was six years old. There he began collecting CDs.

“Music was my salvation,” he said. “When I was a kid, I used to go to these CD stores and choose based on the cover, the art of the album.”

His collection grew to the thousands as he moved between Syria, Spain, and finally Jeddah in 1999. There, in addition to his day job, he began teaching guitar to over 600 students. Some of his students now play for established Saudi metal bands, including Faisal Al-Alamy of 9Six6 and Ayman Alghamdi of Wasted Land.

Log Collection

Dabbah and his music collection last moved to Dubai in 2010. It still consisted mainly of CDs, and it wasn’t until he started traveling internationally for work that he started buying records.

“I always took a day or two off after my business trip to go explore record stores,” Dabbah said. “Whether in Spain or Holland, I made a map and planned the route of the places I would visit.”

In 2014, at Chico Records in Beirut, he was introduced to Discogs, a website where he could buy and sell records and other music-related items. According to him, the discovery “saved and destroyed” his life. Finding rare records by some of his favorite artists was “like finding the Holy Grail.”

“You come home from work, lie on the couch listening to music, and whoops, you open Discogs on your computer,” he laughs. “So I started asking for this and that, and it became a habit.” Her current collection is around 3,000 records.

“On vinyl, you can hear the layers of each instrument, almost separately if you concentrate hard enough. It’s as close to a live experience as you can get.”

Celebrating music in Dubai

Today, Dabbah is a familiar face at local record shows and stores, known to many in the collecting community. “There is a huge community of collectors, whether they are avid music fans or musicians themselves,” he said.

Dabbah also reflected on how Dubai’s melting pot helped foster his love of music.

“You learn about different styles of music through these different people you meet from different backgrounds, which is a really wonderful thing. “Dubai is a great place to celebrate music,” she added.

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